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Plateau Killings: Our Elders Have Failed Us – Plateau Youths |RN

Gyang Bere, Jos

Youths of Plateau State, under the platform of the All Progressives Congress Youths Online Forum, have expressed sadness and disappointment with the elders of the state, saying they were disappointed with the elders for not being united to fight the common enemy of the state.

The APC youths, while addressing a press conference, in Jos, led by their Chairman, Comrade Pius Tongmaan and Secretary, Makut Alfred Mashat, following the unfortunate killings of innocent citizens in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state by suspected Fulani herdsmen, said the elders had failed for playing politics with the lives of human beings.

They said, “Plateau State Elders have failed us. They are playing politics with the lives of our people instead of uniting themselves towards fighting the Plateau State enemy, but the reverse is the case. They are never united. They are now scattered on political lines. It is worrisome because we know who are our enemies are, but our elders have failed.

“Plateau State elders have disappointed us. In fact, we don’t have elders again in this state. Where are they when our people are being killed, our farmlands taken away?

“Our elders and traditional rulers are supposed to sit down with Governor Simon Lalong to find a lasting solution to the incessant killings in the state as well as reclaim back our farmlands taken away by the Fulani herdsmen.”

APC Youths also calls for the immediate arrest of the chairman, North Central Zone of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), Alhaji Danladi Ciroma, over the killings of over 200 citizens in Plateau State.

The youths continued, “We vehemently condemn these cowardly, dastardly and calculated attacks on our people in Plateau and demand the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the act.

“We call on the Federal Government led by our destabilised and patriotic president Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of public importance, mandate the security agencies to arrest and question the statements attributed to the North Central Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, who has given a lead about the perpetrators of the attack by referring to it as retaliatory, where he justified the killings on the basis of over 300 cows allegedly rustled by some natives of Barkin Ladi.

“In as much as we don’t condole criminally by acts of cattle rustling, we also do not accept any individual or group that resort to taking laws into their hands by killing and maiming innocent women and children or the cowardly acts of blocking the federal highways and killing innocent travellers by setting their vehicles ablaze.

“We the APC youths are pained by the killings of our brothers, sisters, mothers and children in Barkin Ladi.

“We call for the establishment of a state-owned localised security outfits to complement the efforts of the existing security architecture that is overstretched.

“We stand with our Governor Simon Lalong and we the youths of the state would not tolerate land grabbing in any part of the Plateau.”

“The youths condemn those killing people and destroying their settlements with the intention of taking ownership of such places would not be allowed to do so.

“We call for the introduction of a community justice system whereby defaulters will be treated by the settlers in conjunction with the state government, Vigilante groups, village heads, Ardos, e.t.c.

“We the APC youths online call for the full implementation of the Plateau roadmap to peace documents as championed by the Plateau Peace Building Agency that has compensation plans that entail rebuilding and restoration of affected communities

The group also called for rehabilitation programmes for traumatised victims and internally-displaced persons that have fled from their ancestral homes

“Government should reclaim the villages and lands overpowered by the herdsmen and secure it for the natives.” (The Sun)